The Osaka prefectural government is home to 45 yuru-kyara – translated literally as “weak characters” or mascots – promoting everything from specific cuisine to tax offices, but Governor Ishiro Matsui is planning to cull their numbers in what we presume will be a brutal Game of Thrones-style coup.

Matsui hopes that by promoting one yuru-kyara – an untrustworthy-looking moustached bird named Moppy – as their champion, perhaps he could one day challenge mascot-king Kumamon for Japan’s plush throne, which is only metaphorically cushioned with the furry heads of a thousand discontinued yuru-kyara.

Opposing Kumamon is not to be taken lightly, however

Not all of Osaka’s rulers are raising their banners in support of the policy, with stirs of discontent even coming from Vice Governor Yasuyuki Ogawa. “Each department devoted energy to creating the mascots, and each mascot is loved by department officials. I hope that will be taken into consideration,” he naively your-Graced.